～に過ぎない
〜ni suginai
JLPT N2 Formal
Formation
Verb-casual + に過ぎない, い-Adjective + に過ぎない, な-Adjective + に過ぎない, Noun + に過ぎない
Expresses that something is 'just' or 'nothing more than'; 'merely', 'only', 'simply'.
When to use
Dismissive "merely/nothing more than" - downplays significance; common in writing and analysis.
Explanation
The ～に過ぎない grammar point is used to indicate that something is 'just' or 'nothing more than' the stated quality or condition. It implies that the thing is not as significant or important as it might seem at first glance. This grammar point can be translated as 'merely', 'only', or 'simply' in English. It can be used with verbs, い-adjectives, な-adjectives, and nouns.
Example sentences
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His failure is nothing more than a mistake.
Kare no shippai wa misu ni suginai.
-
This test is nothing more than a simple question.
Kono shiken wa kantan na mondai ni suginai.
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She is nothing more than a friend.
Kanojo wa tomodachi ni suginai.
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That remark is nothing more than a joke.
Sono hatsugen wa joudan ni suginai.
Exclusivity (Only / Nothing But)
- Noun だけ〜〜dakeN5Indicates 'only', 'just', or 'merely'.
- Noun しか～ないNoun shika~naiN4Expresses 'only', 'nothing but', or 'no other'.
- ～だけしか～dake shikaN3Emphasizes the scarcity or insufficiency of something…
- Noun ばかり〜bakariN4Expresses 'only', 'nothing but', 'always', or 'just'.
- ～に限り〜ni kagiriN2Expresses limitation; 'only', 'limited to', 'exclusive to'.
- ～にほかならない〜ni hoka naranaiN2Express that something is 'nothing but' or 'none other…
- ～しかない〜shika naiN3Express the idea of 'only', 'no other option but'…
- ～ばかりだ〜bakari daN2Express a continuing state or negative tendency; 'just'…
- Noun を おいて他に Verb ない〜wo oite hoka ni〜naiN1Means 'apart from ~ there's nothing else,' implying the…
- ～のは Noun ぐらいのものだ〜no wa Noun gurai no mono daN1Conveys that 'only (Noun) is the case' or 'nothing but…
Corpus examples (29)
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Most scientific breakthroughs are nothing else than the discovery of the obvious.
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Only the tip of an iceberg shows above the water.
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She was merely stating a fact.
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He is nothing but a poet.
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He is nothing more than an egoist.
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He is only someone's stooge.
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He is nothing but a child.
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Men are but children of a larger growth.
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I am nothing but a poor peasant.
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In my opinion, permanent peace is nothing but illusion.
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Permanent peace is nothing but an illusion.
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Your scheme is like a house built on the sand.
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Our world is only one small part of the universe.
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Permanent peace is nothing but an illusion.
雨林は地表のわずか２％をしめるに過ぎないが、世界の野生の動植物、及び昆虫の半分以上の種類がそこで生息している。
Although rainforests make up only two percent of the earth's surface, over half the world's wild plant, animal and insect species live there.
ルチアーノは大声援を背負って戦えるかもしれないが、彼はまだヒヨコに過ぎない。
Luciano might have the crowd behind him, but he's still wet behind the ears.
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He is but a child.
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That's just an excuse.
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It is merely a matter of form.
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Women, then, are only children of a larger growth.
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The circulation of the newspaper is only one-third that of its competitor.
サンフランシスコの人口は、ニューヨークのわずか１０分の１に過ぎない。
San Francisco is only one-tenth as populous as New York.
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This world is but a place of passage.
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In one letter he remarks, "Life is but a dream."
日本の官僚達は国家が破綻するまで天下りを続けて税金をむさぼる国賊に過ぎない！
Japanese bureaucrats are nothing but traitors to the country who covet our tax money and will continue the practice of amakudari until the country is bankrupt.